Quarterly tax · Free

Quarterly Estimated Tax Calculator

Freelancer or self-employed? Find out exactly how much to send the IRS each quarter — before you get hit with a penalty.

$
$0$500k

Filing status

State

$

Pay each quarter

Q1 Apr 15 · Q2 Jun 16 · Q3 Sep 15 · Q4 Jan 15

Annual tax

Effective rate

Annual tax breakdown

Net self-employment income
Self-employment tax (15.3%)
SE tax deduction (½ of SE tax)
−½ SE
Standard deduction
Federal income tax
Total estimated tax

2025 payment due dates

Q1

Apr 15

Jan 1 – Mar 31

Q2

Jun 16

Apr 1 – May 31

Q3

Sep 15

Jun 1 – Aug 31

Q4

Jan 15 '26

Sep 1 – Dec 31

Self-employment tax explained

  • As a freelancer you pay both halves of FICA — employee (7.65%) + employer (7.65%) = 15.3% SE tax on 92.35% of net income (SS caps at $176,100).
  • You can deduct half of SE tax from gross income before calculating income tax — this reduces your federal bill.
  • This calculator uses the standard deduction. If you itemize, your actual income tax may be lower.

The safe-harbor rule

  • Pay at least 100% of last year's tax (110% if AGI > $150k) to avoid underpayment penalties — even if your actual tax ends up higher.
  • Or pay 90% of this year's tax. Whichever is smaller qualifies as safe harbor.
  • Payments are due quarterly. Missing a due date means interest accrues from that date.

Ready to file your quarterly taxes?

TurboTax Self-Employed walks you through every deduction and calculates your exact payments.

Try TurboTax Self-Employed